Brooks’s Substack – Landscape in Lavender is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
About Landscape in Lavender
When society regards you as an outcast even before AIDS starts killing your gay brothers, coming out of the closet is hard enough—yet it’s only the first step. Afterward, finding lasting love and building an authentic identity can be even more challenging.
In this heartfelt memoir—set in Seattle, Philadelphia, and San Francisco against the backdrop of the 1970s sexual revolution and the devastating AIDS pandemic—Brooks Kolb becomes a landscape architect, crosses racial barriers to win love, loses that love, and searches for a place to call home. Along the way he learns that freedom demands constructing your own morality, loss is an inevitable part of life, and the need to belong can be just as urgent as the longing for love.
*⁑⁕⁑*
Landscape in Lavender’s Societal Context
Two excerpts from “You Up?”, Jennifer Wilson’s March 23 2026 New Yorker article about Arsenio Hall’s memoir of his life as a late-night talk show host, perfectly encapsulate the background themes of Landscape in Lavender:
“Revisiting the culture wars of the late eighties and early nineties, I gathered that the only thing scarier to Middle America than the word ‘urban’ was sex that occurred outside the confines of heterosexual marriage. The AIDS crisis had inspired a wave of conservative backlash against the gains of the women’s and queer-liberation movements. The disease was painted as punishment for a sexually liberated life style. …”
“… One forgets that interracial dating was considered illicit in the nineties –Spike Lee made the contentious topic the subject of his 1991 film, Jungle Fever.”
Praise for Landscape in Lavender
“In this honest, heartwarming and heartbreaking tale, Kolb beautifully captures in sensory language what it was like to be gay during the AIDS era. I cheered, I cried, and those two things made this memoir one of my favorites of all time.”
Valerie J. Brooks, award-winning author of 1 Last Betrayal (book three of the Angeline Porter trilogy) and queen of the femmes-noir thriller
“Landscape in Lavender is more than a story of one man’s journey of sexual self-discovery; it’s the story of an entire era in America. No matter who you are or what you’ve lived, you’ll see yourself in this wonderful, entertaining, and inspiring memoir.”
William Kenower, author of Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence and Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
“This elegant sweep of a memoir has all the marks of a fine epic novel: complex family dynamics, honest revelations, hard-won triumphs, and most of all, a lovable protagonist whose strength and grand sense of humor will have readers begging for the movie version. Bravo!”
Jessica Maxwell, author of the award-winning memoir, Roll Around Heaven
“Brooks Kolb tells a heartfelt tale of searching, discovery, lust, leather, and love. Landscape in Lavender is the memoir of an adventurous, aspiring young man on his way to liberation and wisdom.”
Laura Kalpakian, author of Memory Into Memoir
“A moving, meditative memoir about the nonlinear process of coming out to oneself and one’s family… The prose is fluid, accessible, and often beautiful …”
Foreword Clarion Reviews
A Landscape in Lavender Playlist
In Landscape in Lavender, Brooks mentions many songs and artists whose music provided inflection points in his young life. Can you find all of them in the text? Visit Substack to find more information about the Landscape in Lavender soundtrack and listen to it on Spotify. Enjoy!
Brooks was interviewed by Canadian author J.F. Garrard on her “Artsy Raven” literary podcast on April 13th. Recordings on Spotify and YouTube will be posted in a couple of weeks at The Artsy Raven – Home of a curious bird. Check the website for the exact date!
Brooks Kolb
Brooks Kolb is a Seattle writer, artist, and a landscape architect.
Landscape in Lavender is Coming Soon!
Home » Landscape in Lavender is Coming Soon!
Pre-Order on Amazon
Brooks’s Substack – Landscape in Lavender is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
About Landscape in Lavender
When society regards you as an outcast even before AIDS starts killing your gay brothers, coming out of the closet is hard enough—yet it’s only the first step. Afterward, finding lasting love and building an authentic identity can be even more challenging.
In this heartfelt memoir—set in Seattle, Philadelphia, and San Francisco against the backdrop of the 1970s sexual revolution and the devastating AIDS pandemic—Brooks Kolb becomes a landscape architect, crosses racial barriers to win love, loses that love, and searches for a place to call home. Along the way he learns that freedom demands constructing your own morality, loss is an inevitable part of life, and the need to belong can be just as urgent as the longing for love.
*⁑⁕⁑*
Landscape in Lavender’s Societal Context
Two excerpts from “You Up?”, Jennifer Wilson’s March 23 2026 New Yorker article about Arsenio Hall’s memoir of his life as a late-night talk show host, perfectly encapsulate the background themes of Landscape in Lavender:
“Revisiting the culture wars of the late eighties and early nineties, I gathered that the only thing scarier to Middle America than the word ‘urban’ was sex that occurred outside the confines of heterosexual marriage. The AIDS crisis had inspired a wave of conservative backlash against the gains of the women’s and queer-liberation movements. The disease was painted as punishment for a sexually liberated life style. …”
“… One forgets that interracial dating was considered illicit in the nineties –Spike Lee made the contentious topic the subject of his 1991 film, Jungle Fever.”
Praise for Landscape in Lavender
“In this honest, heartwarming and heartbreaking tale, Kolb beautifully captures in sensory language what it was like to be gay during the AIDS era. I cheered, I cried, and those two things made this memoir one of my favorites of all time.”
“Landscape in Lavender is more than a story of one man’s journey of sexual self-discovery; it’s the story of an entire era in America. No matter who you are or what you’ve lived, you’ll see yourself in this wonderful, entertaining, and inspiring memoir.”
“This elegant sweep of a memoir has all the marks of a fine epic novel: complex family dynamics, honest revelations, hard-won triumphs, and most of all, a lovable protagonist whose strength and grand sense of humor will have readers begging for the movie version. Bravo!”
“Brooks Kolb tells a heartfelt tale of searching, discovery, lust, leather, and love. Landscape in Lavender is the memoir of an adventurous, aspiring young man on his way to liberation and wisdom.”
“A moving, meditative memoir about the nonlinear process of coming out to oneself and one’s family… The prose is fluid, accessible, and often beautiful …”
A Landscape in Lavender Playlist
In Landscape in Lavender, Brooks mentions many songs and artists whose music provided inflection points in his young life. Can you find all of them in the text? Visit Substack to find more information about the Landscape in Lavender soundtrack and listen to it on Spotify. Enjoy!
Listen Here
Coming Soon to the Artsy Raven
Brooks was interviewed by Canadian author J.F. Garrard on her “Artsy Raven” literary podcast on April 13th. Recordings on Spotify and YouTube will be posted in a couple of weeks at The Artsy Raven – Home of a curious bird. Check the website for the exact date!
Learn More About the Artsy Raven
Meet Brooks and celebrate PRIDE month at a Summer Book Event!
Brooks will be reading from Landscape in Lavender and
signing books soon at the following locations:
June 26, 5:30 • Village Books • Bellingham, WA
June 27, 5:00 • Barnes & Noble / University of Washington Bookstore • Seattle, WA
Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-brooks-kolb-tickets-1989178419199?aff=oddtdtcreator
B&N Calendar: An evening with Brooks Kolb
July 9, 6:00 • Charlie’s Queer Books • Seattle, WA
July 12, 2:00 • Book Passage – Ferry Building • San Francisco, CA
Fall, 2026 • Giovanni’s Room • Philadelphia, PA
Fall, 2026 • Penn Spectrum Weekend • Philadelphia, PA
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RECENT POST
Landscape in Lavender is Coming Soon!
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Landscape in Lavender: A Young Man’s Search for his Gay Identity is now available for pre-order on Amazon!